India will soon have two new laws to protect intellectual property rights for publicly funded research as well as medical devices regulation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced at the 96th Indian Science Congress.
"Bills for Protection of Intellectual Property Rights for publicly funded research, and for Medical Devices Regulation are on the anvil," he said inaugurating the five-day congress at Shillong in the north-eastern state of Meghalaya on January 3.
The Bill on Research and Development projects (Protection of Intellectual Property) is expected to facilitate the flow of research results from universities and academic institutions to industry and provide financial incentives for inventors.
The prime minister said the Pay Commission's special recommendation to recognise performers among the country's scientific workforce had been accepted by the government. "We will implement a special suitable scheme to reward good performers," he said.
The country, he admitted, was lagging behind not just developed western nations but also the newly industrialising economies of Asia. He urged scientists to lead qualitative development to complement the government efforts of quantitative development.
Among the upcoming facilities that Singh made special mention of were the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicines, Bangalore and institutes for research in Himalayan glaciology, molecular materials, nano science and technology. There were proposals from the ministry of science and technology to adopt the Cancer Research Institute in Chennai, and Institute for Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Guwahati and the National Innovation Foundation.
The prime minister reiterated the government's stand to double the investment in science from one per cent to two per cent of the national income. Budget outlay for the ministries of science and technology and earth sciences have been trebled for the last four year period 2004-08, relative to the previous four-year period, 2000-04.
The Indian Parliament has just passed a Bill to set up a National Science and Engineering Research Board to be responsible for major scientific research funding in the country. The board will be an autonomous body and would have the freedom to establish new modalities of funding research as well as creating facilities and structures that would help improve the quality as well as the quantity of scientific research in the country.
The board will bring in major changes in the scientific research scenario in the country.
Science and technology minister Kapil Sibal said his ministry was endeavouring to enhance the funding to the neglected north-eastern region from five per cent to 10 per cent by the end of the 11th plan period. "As an initial step, 60 colleges have already been provided a grant of Rs 50 lakh each for strengthening their laboratory facilities." Several colleges in the region will also be accorded the status of 'Star College'.
T Ramasami, secretary to the department of science and technology said there was need to right-size the investments in research and development. He also suggested parallel schemes for science researchers to bring back students into the stream.
The annual science congress is being attended by close to 3000 scientists and science students amidst tight security following attacks by extremist groups in the Assam capital of Guwahati close by.
